August 29, 2012 11:34pm EDTAugust 29, 2012 11:21pm EDTThe ongoing drama that is the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes took another turn on Wednesday night with the city of Glendale asking for changes to its 20-year arena deal with prospective owner Greg Jamison.

Mike Sunnucks, Phoenix Business Journal

Published on Aug. 29, 2012

Aug. 29, 2012

The sale of the Phoenix Coyotes has hit another roadblock with the city of Glendale asking for changes to a $300 million, 20-year arena deal with prospective team buyer Greg Jamison.

The city is asking the changes after an Arizona Court of Appeals ruling that moves forward a ballot measure reversing a city sale tax increase.

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That sales tax increase was approved by the Glendale City Council earlier this summer. It raises $125 million over five years.

The city worries if the sales tax measure goes to the November ballot and the increase is reversed it won’t be able to afford the Coyotes deal.

The Arizona Supreme Court is considering the ballot measure case and Glendale’s argument that it should not go to the November ballot.

Glendale spokeswoman Julie Frisoni said the council has instructed city staff to come up with some new arena options.

Those options could be presented to Jamison tonight.

Glendale could look to pay Jamison less money to run Jobing.com Arena, change the annual payment structure or looking for more revenue in the deal.

The Jamison camp also says Glendale is trying to change the terms of the lease deal and payments to the Coyotes.

Neither Jamison nor Glendale has signed the controversial $300 million, 20-year arena deal that pays the Coyotes buyer to run the arena and allows him to collect parking revenue.

Jamison hasn’t finalized a purchase of the team from the National Hockey League even though sources close to the deal say he’s got the financing and investors in place.

Jamison can’t sign the arena deal until he finalizes the deal, according to Glendale officials.

The city hasn’t inked the arena deal in part because of the Coyotes sale hasn’t been consummated.

But the City Council has also told city official not to sign the deal because of the sales tax uncertainty.

The two sides have been holding private meetings on the sale and the lease deal.

NHL owners and players face a Sept. 15 deadline to reach a new collective bargaining agreement or they could face a lockout and possibly lost games.

One Glendale mayoral candidate, attorney Walt Opaska, recently asked the city to rework the Jamison deal so any payments to his ownership group are prorated to the number of games played.

That would protect the city’s money if there is a lockout, argued Opaska who finished third in Tuesday’s elections.

Mike Sunnucks writes about politics, law, airlines, sports business and the economy as a senior reporter for the Phoenix Business Journal.